


terrors don't prey on innocent victims (on hiatus)

by tenshoseok



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse Actually Happens, Androids, Angst, Apocalypse, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Oops, Rated M for Violence and Swearing, Robots, Why do I hurt myself, but im publishing it anyway, eventually, im sorry hongjoong i swear i love you, other kpop groups make an appearance, really i do, the other guys will appear i swear, this is a mess, this is a whole lot darker than i expected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 14:37:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenshoseok/pseuds/tenshoseok
Summary: The world died - the human race became practically extinct, and those that are still alive live in fear of the other beings that roam the earth with them. Androids and robots hunt any living human, intent on killing them.All Hongjoong wants to do is sleep.





	terrors don't prey on innocent victims (on hiatus)

**Author's Note:**

> hi! it's been so long since i've actually posted on here. i thought my first published kpop fic would be a bts one but here we are i guess!! for those of you that don't know i'm nike and i love angst. i would like to apologize in advance for this fic lmao. also if the guys are out of character i apologize. 
> 
> ateez are ruining my life help.
> 
> title from bad liar by imagine dragons.

_ “ Hongjoong?! Fuck, Joong hey look at me, you’re okay! You’ll be fine! “ _

_ “ Joong? Hongjoong? No no no, please answer. Hongjoong… I’m sorry... “ _  


* * *

The world used to be beautiful - at least that’s what his mother had told him. It used to be filled with life, colours, _ people. _ Buildings stretched out as far as the eye could see, car engines revving loudly all around you, trees and parks were a common sight, every city had at least one, but that wasn’t what seemed incredible to Hongjoong, what sounded impossible, far fetched, insane - was the idea of people, talking, shouting, existing as humans should. The idea had seemed so incredibly stupid to him that he had laughed, _ loudly _ at his mother’s words, the last person he had seen beside his mother was his father - and that had been nearly five years ago. 

Hongjoong was alone now, very alone and very scared. His mother had died a couple of years ago - from old age luckily, nothing like what had happened to his father, which he didn’t like talking about - he had been alive twenty years and _ gods _ they had been twenty long years. He hadn’t seen another living being - the insects he quickly decided, did not count - in so long that he forgot he wasn’t the only one left. At least - he didn’t think he was? _ Fuck _ _ , _ _ he hoped he wasn’t. _

Though it was hard to tell if someone was truly a human being or not, the last person he’d ‘spoken’ to had turned out to be an android and had tried to brutally murder him in his sleep - ah yes, good times those were. What a time to be alive. 

Now however he sat in an abandoned building - the fact that all buildings were abandoned is definitely not the point - in his hand he held some sort of… food? Bread? He wasn’t sure but it tasted disgusting, it honestly tasted as good as it looked - an accurate description would be a round beige coloured rock, that oozed a certain smell no human nose should have to smell - but despite all that he was still currently shoving it in his mouth. What? He hasn’t eaten anything in days. 

In the span of four days, Hongjoong had - fallen into a hole, been shot at by androids, fallen into _ another completely different _hole, ran into a lamppost, and then nearly shot himself in the foot - to say that his life was shitty was an understatement. 

It didn’t help that he wanted to talk to someone, because he was so lonely and so so alone. He was nearly at his cracking point - he had spoken to an ant the other day, even asked it how it’s day had gone - he just wanted someone, _ anyone, _to fall out the sky and speak to him -

“ Holy shit! Are you - alive? “

“ Yes? “

What kind of question was that? Was he alive - _ Wait a minute. _

Hongjoong turned around so quickly that the bread ( ? ) flew out of his hands, he knew he wasn’t going crazy, he had definitely heard a person’s voice, what he definitely didn’t expect was a tall, dark-haired young man, and if Hongjoong secretly wanted to see if his hair was truly as soft as it looked, that’s for him alone to know. 

“ Nevermind me, are _ you _alive? The last person that told me they were tried to murder me. “

“ I mean… I think I am? Either that or my whole life has been a lie. “

The young man visibly startled when Hongjoong stood up abruptly, walking towards him as if he was suddenly going to disappear. He tensed up the minute Hongjoong’s hand flew to his neck, only relaxing when he realized he was testing to see if he had a pulse or not. 

“ Holy _ shit. _“

Hongjoong felt like he was dreaming, this couldn’t be real, this person couldn’t be real, it - it just wasn’t possible. Hongjoong looked at the intruder, and inwardly groaned when he found that he had to look up a tiny bit to actually meet his eyes - and when he did he saw sadness, it wasn’t hard to guess why - the world was shit, and for all Hongjoong knew he had seen it first hand. He also took note of the dark circles under his eyes, and couldn’t help but wonder when the last time he’d actually slept was. 

“ Hongjoong. I mean - My name, it’s Hongjoong. “

“ I’m Seonghwa. “

Hongjoong looked down at the hand being held out for him to shake and couldn’t help but laugh, even in this hellscape people still had manners, and so Hongjoong took his hand with a smile, feeling the warmth of Seonghwa’s skin against his own was weird, unfamiliar - but god had Hongjoong missed human interaction. 

He hadn’t honestly noticed he was staring until Seonghwa coughed lightly, retracting his hand and causing the awkward tension to escalate. Hongjoong didn’t know what to say, because what was there to say? _ The weather’s nice today! _ \- a lie, the weather is awful because the ozone layer has basically dissolved, _ Did you do anything interesting today? _ \- like what? not getting shot at, _ Do you have any family? _\- highly unlikely if you’re walking around alone. 

Hongjoong was so lost in his own thoughts he didn’t notice another person step into the building, clutching a dog plushie close to his chest, quietly walking over to Seonghwa so that he could rest on his back. 

“ Ah… San, are you feeling better? “ The question was asked quietly, barely above a whisper, but it was enough to make Hongjoong real back in surprise, _ another person? _He studied the boy cautiously deciding he wasn’t a threat from the way he clutched onto his plush as if it were his life. 

“ Hyung, Woo scraped his knee badly when he was carrying me - he says it hurts. “

“ Woo? “

Hongjoong hadn’t meant to speak out loud, but somehow he had anyway, the look the new boy - San? - gave him was enough to break any resolve he had left about… anything. The boy couldn’t be much younger than him, but there was a fragile innocence in his eyes that reminded Hongjoong of simpler times - as weird as that was. 

Seonghwa sighed silently, grabbing San’s hand tightly before asking him to lead the way. He didn’t mind when Hongjoong followed silently behind them, it might be better to have another person his age help him look after San and Wooyoung - but that wasn’t important, he could ask later. Sooner than he expected they reached Wooyoung, sat on the floor, clutching his knee tightly, blood seeping through his hands. 

“ Wooyoung, how exactly did you fall? “

Wooyoung looked up at him with glossy eyes, his nose running slightly and his cheeks a faint shade of pink. He looked like he couldn’t speak, and when Seonghwa crouched down beside him he held back a gasp. Wooyoung had tripped - obviously - and somehow embedded small bits of metal into his skin, to a normal eye it would look like nothing more than a scrape, but Seonghwa had lived in this world long enough to notice it. 

“ Hyung… “ San spoke quietly, clutching his dog tighter, a bag discarded next to his feet, and when Seonghwa turned to look at him he immediately regretted saying anything at all, “ … I didn’t mean to hurt Woo - I should’ve just walked, and.. and we used the last of bandages on me - “

“ I have bandages. If you’d like to use them. “

Seonghwa had never been so glad to hear someone speak in his entire life, but right he wanted to hug Hongjoong - not that he was going to but still - he finally looked at Hongjoong and saw him holding out some fresh bandages, disinfectant and… tweezers? What those were for he didn’t want to ask, instead he just took them gratefully, holding them as if they were the holy grail. 

He quietly got to work, sighing every time that Wooyoung gasped, every time San sniffled - everyone was relieved when he finally sat back, the bandage wrapped tightly around Wooyoung’s knee, the small metal pieces somewhere behind him. 

Seonghwa was tired - god he was tired, but they had to keep moving, he knew that as he pushed himself up with his hands, watching as San picked up the bag, before helping Wooyoung to his feet - Seonghwa didn’t bother asking, just crouched in front of Wooyoung, feeling him hesitantly climb onto his back. He turned towards the way they had come in, already fearing for his life, turning his head to give Hongjoong a grateful smile.

“ Thanks for the bandages - I hope you don’t die, but we’re going to go, the boys need rest… “

Seonghwa began walking, his legs protesting, his eyes aching, his heart heavy - because this wasn’t right, none of this was right and yet it was what it was. San was clutching onto his sleeve now, Wooyoung’s arms resting on his shoulders, and all Seonghwa wanted to do was sleep for once -

_ “ You can stay here. It’d be nice to have some company. “ _


End file.
